The Gum Ball Music Festival: So Much More Than Bands In The Bush
An intimate & family friendly bush party, music & arts festival an hour from Newcastle sounds almost too good to be true! No wonder The Gum Ball is back and going strong in it’s 7th year. Coming up quickly, the Hunter Valley’s boutique 2 day festival will kick off on Friday, 29 April in Belford.
From humble beginnings, Gum Ball has come far, and it’s all a bit surreal for festival founder Matt Johnston who said, “it sounds cliché but standing up in the front paddock, having a beer around the fire at the end of a set up day, its hard to grasp that 8 years ago, I told the oldies “I’m going to fill that dam in there, clean the bush up, put a stage here and everyone can camp around there…”. To be still here chipping away, through the trials and tribulations, I feel pretty chuffed in myself not to have given up”.
Over the years the festival has felt an underground swell of hardcore fans and more and more profiled acts have crept on to The Gum Ball Festival stages, and yet the event has maintained its intimate atmosphere. This year over 20 acts will take to the stage, including Maori rock/dub/reggae rhythm powerhouse KORA, ARIA award winning calypso bluesman CW Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, funk masters The Bamboos, Resin Dogs, Custom Kings, The Vasco Era & Papa Vs Pretty. These touring acts will be joined by local favourites Ngariki, Chase The Sun & Zoe K.
When asked what people should expect from a Gum Ball experience, Johnston said, “hopefully something that people will find quite comforting - a laid back festival with minimal fuss. An instant switch off, when you visualise what its all about. Everybody makes new friends at Gum Ball, because everybody is having such a great time!”
Sounding good so far, and, as if the musical line up wasn’t enough, there’s an array of extras that run across the festival…
If you’re down to party beyond midnight you’ll be able to take part in The Gum Ball Silent Disco. Hosted by tune spinners Jack Shit & DJ Soup, you’ll whack on some headphones and find yourself busting your best moves. This is a great spectator sport too!
Craving recognition for your op shopping prowess? Then make sure you compete to be crowned the King or Queen of the Ball! The rules are simple, come to the festival in your most impressive outfit purchased from any second hand opportunity shop (Red Cross, Salvos, St Vinnies etc). If you’re nominated you can compete in the pageant where you will be scored on your style and ability to shake it on the dance floor. Get involved because not only do you get a mega crown in you win, but you get free tickets to next year’s festival!
There’s plenty to keep the little and big kids entertained too, from belly dancing to circus school and screen printing.
All in all, this is one festival that you can really relax at! There’s a few good reasons why that’s the case and probably the most satisfying one is not having to wait in bar lines for overpriced drinks because the whole shebang is BYO! You can take along your beverage of choice, or an entire esky of beverages, and enjoy them as you see fit (no glass under any circumstances). Basically it feels like you’re having a party in your backyard, with a great big stage and amazing bands!
The festival shows strong charity support to the Black Dog Institute. Festival goers can donate to the Institute and go in the draw to win great prizes like campervan rental, a Tigermoth joy ride and a guitar signed by all of the acts on this year’s lineup. Donation details.
If you’re yet to experience this Hunter Valley success story, don’t fret - there’s still a chance to get along to this year’s festival. First off, give this a burl: if comment on this article and name a band from the The Gum Ball’s 2005 line up to go in the draw for a double pass! Make sure you include a valid email contact so that we can get in touch if you win. Entries close at 3pm today. If you miss out on that, tickets are available for purchase but get in quickly because we hear they’re the closest they’ve ever been to selling out! Weekend tickets, including camping, are $130 + bf. Check out the website for more info about ticket options and purchase.
Iota, do you get bonus points if people copy your band :).
I believe iOTA were on the bill. Obviously Stonefields (the Triple J unearthed high winners formally known as ‘Iotah’) weren’t there. Wait - were they even born then?
I can’t go on Saturday but to get along on Friday to see the Bamboos play would put a grin on my face from ear to ear (Unfortunately there are no Friday only tix).
There are probably more eligible peeps for the tix though who can make it both days.
iOTA & the Lizard Men, The Australian Beef Week Show, Dirty Pink Jeans, Johnny Real & The Love Makers, The Great Dividing Range, The Re-mains and JT Recipe :0